Always Red Dave

Just responding to another thread whether the base narrow body coupe and vert should be discontinued now or when the C7 arrives and just start the base model as a Grand Sport. Well according to my Corvette Black Book and the corvette action center 1 out of every 3 =33% 2010 C6 cars built in 2010 were base narrow body cars and about the same in 2011 =30% base narrow body cars SO SOME PEOPLE are still buying them even if not as much as the Grand Sport model so I do not think the base model should be DROPPED by GM. Keep all BASE,GRAND SPORT,ZO6,ZR1 which satisfies everyones needs which all are GREAT VETTES!

jamesw95

When the C7 gets here all is new, there may not be a base, wide body etc. We will just have to wait and see.

MisterMidlifeCrisis

I purchased a 2011 base coupe and if it hadn't been available and only came as a Grand Sport, I would not be a Corvette owner today.

Purdue

I'm thinking the same thing!

Dave@Ciocca

First off, they couldn't eliminate the standard coupe because out of the whole line up, that car has the best EPA and they need to build those cars for CAFE.

Secondly, both the standard coupe and standard convertible are price points for advertising purposed - $50,500 coupe, $55,500 convertible.

Having said that, those numbers are deceptive. The large majority of Chevy dealers are not familiar with Corvette trends. When 2,900 dealers order their 1 or 2 Corvettes for the whole year, they are very careful to make sure they don't stock something too crazy in price so they tend to go a little inexpensive.

Back when Jeff Hardy (RIP ) was updating his site you could see how many straight bodies were in stock compared to Grand Sports and it was disproportionate based on what was built year to date.

Just because dealers order the car doesn't mean there is a demand for it!

vettelover69

What he said. The GS is the best selling vette right now.

Dave@Ciocca

There's definitely a market for the straight body and I'm not knocking it, but dealers are ordering way more than there is a demand for.

C7Joy

I would have guessed the percentage would have been higher. That means that 2/3 are GS & Z.

C7Joy

Was that a financial based decision or something in styling and/or options?

kedar

I am a big fan of my 2010 narrow-body daily driver vette. I could have ordered a grand sport, but chose not to. Although winter tires likely don't concern the vast majority of vette owners, when I was buying they were not available in wide-body sizes (and probably still aren't). Oh yeah, the narrow-body looks better too!

laconiajack

The C6 came out in 2005, and the base car was the clear sales leader through 2009. All the Grand Sport sales in total before the intoduction of the C7 will likely be less than 20% of the total C6 sales. The Edsel was a roaring success compared to the Grand Sport. Dealers are stocking the Grand Sport simply because their has not been a significant improvement in the base Vette since the '09 model, so their is literally no incentive for anyone owning a '09 or earlier narrow body Vette to trade them in for another one. Our local Vette dealer has maybe eight C6 cars for sale, all Grand Sports, and all with automatic torque converter transmissions and chrome wheels. These cars aren't selling very well at all, not because of the economic times (Caddies, BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexus are selling like very well), but because their aren't enough Joe six-pack great pretenders and posers in the car buying public that want one.

Gearhead Jim

In the Spring of 2009 we had just learned details of the new GS. I thought about all the advantages/disadvantages of each, and finally bought a new 2009 narrow body Z51 off a dealer lot. It was, and still is, the better car for me. Price was not an issue. Your situation or taste may certainly be different, they are both excellent cars.

Z06LUST

I do not get the talk concerning "base"...I thought base was a 1LT car with no options.
Do not mean to be overly picky...but there is NO base car NOR narrow bodied car.... when did the standard Corvette suddenly become a "narrow" body in 2010 after 5 model years... (like the Z06 and ZR1 didn't exist previously.)

How about:

Coupe
Convertible
Grand Sport Coupe (most just go with Grand Sport unless it is a vert)
Grand Sport Convertible
Z06
ZR1

Don't see a "base" anywhere....a lot of people like the lines of the Coupe better. For me the Convertible looks better then the Grand Sport Convertible (convertible top too small with the wider fenders..just looks funny, to me)... and a Centennial 4LT Coupe to me sure doesn't look "base" nor would it carry a 'base' price tag..

RACE U

GM would be foolish to do this, if they are worried about sales volumes. There are just so many buyers out there that can afford, and want, a corvette. If they wipe out the buying base vettes, that would be eliminating younger buyers, which would not be smart.

Also 30% of the volume being eliminated would not be very smart, especially since the plant is only building about 35% of the volume it produced in 2008.

LucaBrasiAZ

wait, you bashing the grand sport? no freakin way

kedar

kedar

"Base" seems to refer to all narrow-body coupes. Sadly, that misnomer refers to my 4lt f55 npp nav coupe.

Racer

Totally, but it ain't gonna happen, a lot of people are going to keep calling (incorrectly) the coupe and convertible .........base or narrow bodies. I have caught myself calling them that (although, I really try and call them their proper names) but then some people do not understand so you have to dumb it down and speak baby talk.

hawkgfr

Sorry but the lady in your avatar has killed every man that has ever been in bed with her. No way anyone could survive that.


Carry on...

oh and yea, now that my toungue swelling has gone down and my eyes are back onto their sockets, you're right about the Vettes.

Kevin_NYC

Seats/interior of '12 are huge improvement

Base 1LT rarely have issues of option cars.....batteries, nav, etc